Week 44

IT IS OFFICIAL! We signed the rental agreement for the house in Apache Creek! WE BOUGHT A HOUSE WE BOUGHT A HOUSE WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! I am really excited. We are in for a treat I know it. We live right by the Snow's too, we are pumped.
 We went to Reserve 3 times last week. One time, a miracle happened. WE MET 2 PEOPLE ON THE STREET! In Downtown Reserve! (which consists of like 6 miniscule stores). We were getting ready to head towards home, I was driving, and saw two men on the side of the road. I said, "should we stop?" Sister Pass said sure why not. So I pulled over, we got out and walked over to the two people in sight. I talked with one while the other sisters talked to the other man right next to us. The man I talked to is Wes and he just moved to Reserve about 1 year ago from Colorado. The cool part is, turns out he is A MEMBER! He said he had met with elders before, and I asked if he would like to meet with missionaries again. He said, "from you sisters yes." (very solemnly, not flirtatious or creepy in any way.) We have appointments with both men. We now have one new potential investigator and found an unknown less active in Reserve from our own finding efforts WOO! Miracles happen.

Miracle.

BERNIE in Pie Town IS ON DATE FOR JUNE 21st!

He wants to speed up the lesson process, we will try to begin Sykping him during the week this week. He has been so prepared. He is an angel. 

Also we finally found a family we have been trying to contact in Quemado yesterday! Turns out the wife was baptized a member and "was a mormon" growing up. They are a young couple with 2 kids and are SO CUTE. We are going back to help her with yard work. We are excited about them.

Also the Recent converts the Campbells in Pie Town are our best friends. We are starting to re-teach them all the lessons again. I LOVE THEM. They are so so sincere. Espcially Sam's prayers. They are miracles.

My companions and I are SO DIFFERENT from each other. But we are working out well together. Sometimes I feel really mature because I don't feel so inclined to do little crazy things. But I think I am normal- they are crazy. I am always well entertained though!

The Baca's in Reserve have a bright future. They are a member referral family. We had our 2nd lesson with them this week, and did some service for them too. They are catholics at heart but are so open to read the Book of Mormon- you know what that means- The Book of Mormon will work it's magic on their hearts and they'll know its true. They're a really good family and we hope they have real intentions with all this!

We have almost all our stuff together for trek! We will be on Trek Friday through Monday so we will probs change our P-day.

I feel sad about not speaking Spanish hardly ever, but I still know it! 

I had 2 dreams this week about Trevor getting his mission call. First dream I saw it before he did and it read " Little Rock Arkansas" but then when he read it, it said Mississippi. And then the next night I dreamt he was going somewhere crazy that I can't remember- Malaysia or something. So I am excited for Trevs you have no idea!

LOVE YOU ALL. 

Hermana Christensen

In our matching PJ's from Brenda in Alpine!

Week 43

HIGHLIGHTS

Things are getting real and crazy in Eagar.

-Trek is in 2 weeks. The new elders are going now too. That's 10 missionaries on trek! We will all be split up into different families. Members are helping to gather things for us. So nice.

-We get to go on girls camp too!!

-Stake conference was bomb. President Sweeney asked in the middle of his talk for me and my 2 companions to go up on the stand. We were all wearing matching outfits too just a side note- we like to match :)... anyways he asked us if it was hard to start talking to people at the beginning of our missions and why. I started out and said no. I loved it and found it fun and exciting. That my jobs before the mission prepared me for that. Then my two companions said yes it was hard. Eh.

-We sang in the stake choir on Sunday - I sang the harmony yay.

-We hiked flattop this morning. (sister Heap and I ran it)

-We FOUND A HOUSE IN RESERVE! It is so cute and President and our housing coordinator approved it halfway! We are taking pics of it tomorrow to send to them with the landlord info and such. Yay for house shopping!

-We got 5 new investigators in Reserve this week.

-We will start focusing on Less Actives in that area.

-We did a gutsy service project for Brenda (investigator) in Alpine. Her phone dies but we drove up on hopes she would let us serve her. She did! We picked up wood and raked pine needles. Then after about and hour the previous Bishop for Luna ward came with a big tractor and his two neighbors to rake Brenda's pine needles! What a COINCIDENCE that was- mircale. Yay for being guided by the Spirit.

-Brenda bought sister Arevalo and I matching PJ's from JC Penny's haha. Picture coming soon.

----she loves us! Hopefully she will come to church soon!

I LOVE BEING IN A TRIO IT IS SO MUCH FUN! WE LAUGH SO MUCH.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY>!>!>#!:L#:"!L#:"!L#:!L*(&*$*&#%*(&

Hermana Christensen

matching :) for Eagar stake conference

At the top of Flattop

Week 42

Familia.

The highlight of tranfers was that Sister Goodwin and I got to go down and pick up our 3rd companions. That night Hermana Pew let me cuddle up to her in the mission home and she rubbed my legs and feet while I told her everything that's happening at home and in NM. She is so loving and such a great example to me! I love my Moms!

Also right when we got to the mission home President asked to talk with me. I told him more of everything that was happening in NM and we established some expectations. We are officially going to move our stuff out of Eagar into SOMEWHERE in NM! We don't know where yet. We are just free willying it. On faith that we will find people out there! We took the roll up foam pads from the mission home to use as beds in member's homes. We are part homeless!  We also established that our miles are unlimited and our purpose is to be creative and find people out in these scattered homes in these barren cities! President said we are on mission vacation this transfer haha so to have fun with it. I am still a missionary he assured me, just to let loose a little bit. WE WILL HAVE SO MUCH FUN! We have the coolest mission president and wife ever. Last week I left a pair of tennis shoes at the mission home and Sister Sweeney helped me find them at transfers. I ran in them with sister Pew, then I left them again! This morning we got a text from President, "Goodmoring! Did Cinderella forgot her shoes again?" He's awesome.

We tried on a bunch of clothes on last night for trek. We won't be in our companionships either. They will split each of us up into different families! I am really scared haha it will be hard. BUT I love hard things cause I know I learn and grow from them.

I am so excited for this transfer! Hermana Pass is so fun.

The one week I was in a trio in Scottsdale was so fun- so I just have the highest hopes! 

We are staying in Reserve the next 3 nights then will come back for Stake Conference in Eagar.

One zone leader is now our district leader and I am so excited for the leadership we have up here!

I love Eagar Stake, We have the best Stake ever. 

I LOVE YOU FAMILY AND I LOVE YOU MOM! Thanks for being so nice to me all the time. Thanks for being obedient and doing right things. We really have such an amazing family! Just keep doing better each day. God doesn't expect immediate perfection. He only expects immediate progress.

Hermana  Christensen

Also, Sister Arevalo and I love makeup and clothes. WE SHARE A CLOSET NOW YAY! And have committed fully to live the law of consecration. We share everything! HAPPILY! It's so fun :)
Also because we love makeup, we now have glasses to wear on trek where makeup isn't allowed. :)

Zone Training MTG

Dead snake in Reserve. Sister Arevalo was so excited. She always wants to see a snake and a bear.

With the Snows in Reserve!

Our neighbor stopped by on his horses to visit!

Pot luck in the Pie Town church on Mother's day!

District Service!

Week 41

We had a really busy week with exchanges, interviews, and MLC. We got a flat tire this week on the way from Luna to Pie Town. I won't blame the members who told us to take this dirt road to get there, but I am thankful for the good Samaritan named Jack who stopped to help us but had already talked with missionaries before and wasn't interested. We got the bolts all loosened by ourselves! The jack was a whole different story. I don't know why I didn't take more advantage of Bountiful Mazda.

We love love love the Luna ward and Pie Town branch. We are looking for maybe a house to stay in in Reserve and live up there instead of in Eagar. It's a slow process and it is difficult getting to know the vast areas up there, but it will be easier for the next missionaries if we start doing all this now!

This week we have sung A LOT of hymns. We both enjoy singing and running and eating and shopping and teaching. We have so much in common :)

We have asked our bishops if we can sing in sacrament meeting. We have to get practicing!

I am grateful for prayer. I know Heavenly Father loves me and listens. I found a new favorite scripture this week. Mosiah 4:11-13.

 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge ofthe glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have ^atasted of his love, and havereceived a ^bremission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls,even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness ofGod, and your own ^cnothingness, and his ^dgoodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthycreatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of ^ehumility, ^fcalling on the name of theLord daily, and standing ^gsteadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken bythe mouth of the angel.

 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the^alove of God, and always ^bretain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the ^cknowledgeof the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

 13 And ye will not have a ^amind to injure one another, but to live ^bpeaceably, and to render toevery man according to that which is his due.

I applied these things into my prayers. Because there is a promise that we will  not have a mind ti injure one another, but to live peaceably... I love that. I want to be more charitable.

We REALLY don't teach in Spanish. I talk with Sister Arevalo in Spanish. But pretty much everything else we do is English. I know this is my calling right now so I am pleasantly accepting! 

Happy transfer planning week! I will talk to you Sunday, then Wednesday!

Happy Birthday again Drew! You are the best brother in law I have ever had! Thanks for being so buff and letting me have a niece.

xoxo

Hermana Christensen

I know how to milk a cow!

Another stay in Pie Town trailer!

We brought a gallon of our own milk into the restaurant. They understood, were nice and brought us cups :)

Emergency temple trip in Mesa. :)

Week 40

Things are looking brighter! We have a 9 year old who is part of a family we are helping re-activate who is getting baptized on the 10th! Guess what his name is too? Riley!! :) I haven't told him yet that I have a sister with his same name because I don't want to offend him.

Bernie in Pie Town will hopefully be baptized the end of May. And I hopefully will not get transferred. I am finally starting to see hope for this area and get a hang of things. We drive A LOT.

We have a lot of really good potential in the Luna ward I can't believe it.  Luna ward consists of Reserve, Aragon, Luna, Alpine and all those random towns in the left central part of New Mexico.

Hermana Arevalo and I are learning to work better together. I am learning to be less serious and talk more, about everything. We are getting rid of uncomfortable awkward silences. She is also going to speak more in Spanish for me. Which I am happy about. I hardly speak to anyone in Spanish anymore it feels like. I want to be so exactly obedient but things just aren't working like that yet. So I am loosening up a little. It kind of hurts, but it is how we work best together!

I am still running 3 miles a day. We love love love the gym. All the regulars are getting to be our friends. :)

We spoke in Eagar 2nd ward yesterday for 10 mins each on charity and service. We spoke with a returning elder from Hawaii. I shared the Matt. 25. and read "I am trying to be like Jesus" primary song and shared how much I actually LIKE serving now. And how I didn't like to pull weeds for mom, but NOW I LOVE WEEDING. Cause when I am weeding, I feel like I am doing something Jesus would do. I want to be like Jesus. He is so nice :)

We have interviews with President and car inspections this week! I LOVE PRESIDENT SWEENEY. He is my mission father. And sister Sweeney my mission mother. Then I go down to MLC this week too! I love busy weeks!

I hope Drew liked my squirrel letter, I got it at the thrift store. That's where everybody shops here in Round Valley!

I am semi-excited to talk to you all in 13 days?

I really really LOVED the letter from Ally, Kassidy. 

I bought a lot of eggs to eat this week. I love eggs and oatmeal with PB. 

I also love well water. Water from a well. Lots of people have that here. It is delicious!

I also love all of the members up here. They are all so nice!

Also there is a girl from here in Eagar named Sister Hamblin who is serving in Bountiful right now.  So look out for her :)

Also I really miss soccer sometimes. I feel like I am not even a soccer player anymore it is sad.

Also Sister Goodwin who we are living with, finally got her Visa to Brazil after 9 MONTHS.

Also it is starting to warm up here a little :) (just really windy)

Also My hair is getting healthier. 

Also I write in my journal every night and make my bed every morning.

Also, I like being a missionary because it is like I have a sleep over with my best friend every night!

Also I don't know if I told you- Hermana Arevalo reminds me SO MUCH of Brianna it is weird sometimes!

LOVE YOU! Have fun in California Mom and Dad :)

Hermana Christensen

Fun in the kitchen

Driving home from Luna to Alpine, it was snowy and SO pretty

 Our nightly pic (in the bathtub last night, we needed to change up the location so this was my revelation)

Week 39

We had a very interesting week because we did what hasn't been done before! Or at least in quite some time. We stayed over night in Reserve, Pie Town and Eagar this week! 

We have felt the need to GET OUT of EAGAR! And so we did. And we witnessed little miracles. We have so many referrals and contacted 7 this week. We are in the process of finding in these little New Mexico towns. 

On Tuesday we had a girl preparing for her mission drive us around in Reserve contacting referrals and talking to people. They live in the middle of nowhere and have acres of land with horses and cows and dogs- their life is so neat!

After, we slept at Bishop Payne's home and then headed back to Eagar.

Eagar we had a great lesson with Tonia. She is my favorite person. She wants to get baptized. I want her to just get a new job and not work on Sunday. We are working on that :)

Then Saturday we just picked up and left to Pie Town. We drove ourselves (we didn't have to drive down to the valley this month so we have extra miles-MIRACLE). We tried to contact some people in Quemado but that is impossible to do with out a member because there are no street signs or numbers on houses. And the men at the gas station didn't know haha.

So we visited a less active couple in Datil.

Then ate at a member's home even farther than Datil. VERY INTERESTING- They have EVERYTHING you can think of to survive if a disaster hits! Words cannot even do their home justice. 

Then we drove back to Pie town where we slept in THE MISSIONARY TRAILER right next to the church that hasn't been slept in in YEARS hahaha. The heat, water and electricity didn't work. Luckily I had a flashlight in the car. Luckily the door locked, luckily we had lots of blankets and sweats and luckily we had a key to the little church right next door to use the facilities :). Also we were lucky that no mice had gotten in.

Then at church in Pie Town we had a record 50 people in sacrament meeting!! The chairs in the little room were all full almost! Bernie was there and also a member's non-member husband! And a few other non-members. It was really good to be there and meet with all of them. I am in love with Pie Town.

Afterwards we followed the Campbell's (baptized in December) to their home. We visited with them and then the spirit guided us to talk about their goals to go to the temple. We made the plan on them being sealed in 1 year! Then we talked about family history and baptisms for the dead. It was SO NEAT to see Sam Campbell's face light up as he learned how he is able to be baptized for his ancestors. He didn't know we ACTUALLY are baptized for them. He comes from a VERY Baptist family and grew up in Florida and none of his family are members. He has lots of work to do and the Spirit was very strong during this conversation. I know that he has ancestors just WAITING for him to do their work! I love the Campbell's! People who live in the middle of nowhere have to have hobbies.
Sister Campbell has a room with millions of beads. SO NEAT! She makes all the missionaries a bracelet :)

Bother Campbell has a gun room. He makes guns and bullets and such- I don't really understand but whatever makes him happy!

We are chuggin along- finding the little blessings each day. This area requires a really different type of way to work than in Scottsdale. But it is ALL the Lord's work. I have faith that He will continue to direct us here just as down in Scottsdale. We are excited to teach Bernie!

Happy Easter. I know Christ lives. We heard a few stories this week that have augmented my understanding of this. I love the Holy Ghost- he is real and he guides me in millions of decisions everyday. 

Have a fabulous week!
I loved your Easter picture with the 3 eggs ha:)

Hermana Christensen

Millions of Elk in Reserve.

With big man Izzy during service.

random

Missionary TRAILER! I am pretty positive we are the only missionaries in the whole mission who have a little trailer :) We are so blessed right!?!

Our trailer :)

Brother and Sister Campbell

Sister Campbell

Week 38

Hermana Arevalo and I get along so so well, in such a good way! It is so easy to feel the spirit with her. We help eachother so much and contructrively critique eachother constantly because we love eachother. In our language and in our missionary skills.

We also go to bed at 10 so we can wake up at 6 and exercise for an hour! It feels SO GOOD!

Also Yessica went to church again this week! (Without us!) And she came to a FHE last night at a member's home with her kids. She is doing GREAT.

Also we started a 7 day 15 step quit smoking program this week with a less active- he is doing great!

We dropped 5 investigators this week and we feel SO good about it. We have maybe 2 real investigators TOTAL- which is kind of depressing BUT we know we are about to find those prepared families and our hope is not diminishining! Hermana Arevalo is such a kind and helpful companion to me and we are working really well together!

After ZTM this week, I had all the sisters in our zone who wanted, eat at a little Mexican restaurant in St. Johns. All the sisters came and it was good bonding time.

Friday we visited some less actives in Alpine, then stayed the night at a member's cabin. Hermana Arevalo kept saying "yo quiero ver un oso!" She wanted to see a bear sooo so badly but we never did. We stayed in the cute little cabin and got locked out the next morning after our excercise and MIRACULOUSLY found a spare key and got back in after a mere 4 minutes -funny miracle. That Saturday we visited with our Ward Mission Leader and established our goals with certain people and such. We then visited people that I have never met and set some return appointments! Which was a miracle!!! We are really excited to spend more time in Alpine, Luna, Reserve,  Aragon, Pie Town and Dadil. We are being drawn away from Eagar into these remote areas for a reason I know it!

We went to Pie Town branch yesterday to speak and a miracle happened.. A member's boyfriend (Bernie) who has been attending for several months, expressed interest to our Branch Mission Leader in taking the missionary discussions! He has been attending church every week there and practically is part of the little Pie Town branch family! We will start teaching him in the second weekend in May because he will be out of town and such.

I FEEL SO HAPPY and am really excited to finally meet who the Lord is preparing for us! We have 10 referrals to contact in LUNA (from a missionary who is serving in North Carolina but his home ward is LUNA!)
We also feel this need to stay in Dadil New Mexico (I have never been there yet) but some members from Pie Town Branch live there and we hear it is about the size of Quemado NM. We are going to cause some miraculous changes here!

ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BOX!! Hermana Arevalo and I almost cried when we heard a song on the CD was in Spanish! YAY thanks so so much! I have the BEST Family ever and I feel so extremely blessed! I am so excited for Easter! In honor of it I have been pondering my favorite Easter talk- "Sunday will come" READ IT!

Hermana Christensen

With Yessica, our beloved sister

At the cabin in Alpine

Me with my bottle of oatmeal water- in front of the church in St Johns where we ave ZTM and Sister Watkins and I gave our trainings!